The present invention relates generally to fuel tanks for vehicles and, more particularly, to a vapor canister and fuel tank assembly for a vehicle.
It is known to provide a fuel tank in a vehicle to hold fuel to be used by an engine of the vehicle. It is also known to provide a vapor recovery and storage system for the fuel tank of the vehicle. Typically, the vapor recovery and storage system includes a vapor canister remotely mounted such as in an engine compartment of the vehicle and operatively connected by separate external valves and lines to the fuel tank. It is also known to test the integrity of the vapor recovery and storage system by either pressurizing or applying vacuum to the fuel tank and vapor canister. Many of these systems also use a pressure transducer or sensor connected to the fuel tank to monitor the pressure/vacuum decay in the fuel tank. For measuring fuel vapor leakage, engine vacuum is used to draw a vacuum on the vapor recovery and storage system and valves are closed to seal the vacuum in the vapor recovery and storage system while measuring pressure with the pressure transducer in the fuel tank. However, the pressure transducer presents an additional source of fuel vapor leakage and permeation from the fuel tank.
It is desirable to remove the pressure transducer from the fuel tank. It is also desirable to locate the pressure transducer in another location of the vapor recovery and storage system in a vehicle to monitor the pressure.
It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a vapor canister and fuel tank assembly for a vehicle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a vapor canister and fuel tank assembly for a vehicle that locates the pressure transducer or sensor in a location other than the fuel tank.
To achieve the foregoing objects, the present invention is a vapor canister and fuel tank assembly for a vehicle including a fuel tank having an interior chamber and a vapor canister fluidly communicating with the interior chamber of the fuel tank to adsorb vapor fuel. The vapor canister and fuel tank assembly also includes a pressure sensor located on a clean side of the vapor canister to monitor pressure in the assembly.
One advantage of the present invention is that a vapor canister and fuel tank assembly is provided for a vehicle. Another advantage of the present invention is that the vapor canister and fuel tank assembly removes the pressure transducer or sensor from the fuel tank to eliminate a source of hydrocarbon permeation and potential leaks. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the vapor canister and fuel tank assembly locates the pressure transducer at either the clean-air side of the vapor canister or in the fresh air vent line coming out of the clean side of the vapor canister so that there are little or no hydrocarbons left in the air that contacts the sensor to leak or permeate. Still another advantage of the present invention is that the vapor canister and fuel tank assembly provides a vapor canister exposed only to vapor fuel and isolated from liquid fuel, water, salt, dirt, etc., minimizing external connectors and prevents the pressure sensor from being contaminated.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood, after reading the subsequent description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.